Honkai Impact 3rd - The Interference

Chapter 67 - Oneself

"Clista, who exactly is Noah to you?"

A heavy silence descended, punctuated only by the gentle whisper of the wind seeping into the room. Clista Isabella found herself incapable of forming a response as Hoshino Wan fixed her with an intense gaze, amplifying her anxiety.

Fear gripped Clista suddenly, causing her hand to tremble uncontrollably as she struggled to find her words. "I... it's..."

After a couple more minutes of stumbling over her words, Clista cast her gaze away from Wan, her expression clouded with shame as she softly muttered, her guilt palpable. "I'm sorry, Wan, I can't..."

Her response disappointed Wan, but he chose not to press her further. Despite Clista's reluctance to answer his questions, Wan maintained his composure, gently shaking his head.

"No, it's fine," he said, his expression softening in an effort to reassure Clista. Thankfully, his gesture worked; the tension in the room eased as Clista observed his softened demeanor, finding solace in his calming presence once more.

Clista's shoulders relaxed slightly, the weight of her secret still heavy but momentarily alleviated by Wan's understanding demeanor. She offered him a weak smile of gratitude, appreciating his patience and restraint.

"Thank you, Wan," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Really."

Wan nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Just then, a faint melody erupted from Wan's pocket, drawing their attention as he fished out his phone. With a quick glance at the caller ID, curiosity sparked within Clista, prompting her to lean in for a closer look. To her surprise, Wan welcomed her curiosity with a casual shrug, inviting her to satisfy her intrigue.

Without hesitation, Wan swiped to answer the call and brought the phone to his ear, his voice filled with anticipation. "Yes, Kiana?"

"Wan-senpai! Kanae's is asking all four of us to gather." came the urgent voice from the other end.

-----

As Wan and Clista arrived at the gathering place, they were met with the sight of Kiana, Hana, and Bronya having a conversation with one another along with another person in front of them.

Kanae, their unofficial leaders at the moment, standing in front of everyone else's immediately noticed Wan and Clista's arrival and beckoned them over with a wave of her hand. "Wan, Clista, glad you two could make it." she said, her voice firm yet reassuring.

After Kanae's words, the trio already in the room swiveled their heads toward Wan and Clista, their movements synchronized as if choreographed, as the two of them glided gracefully into the space.

"I apologize, Kanae-san... was I late?" Wan's voice carried a tone of earnest politeness, drawing a small chuckle from Kanae as she shook her head.

"No, you're right on time," Kanae replied, her attention then shifting toward Clista. "And Clista, you know you don't have to be here if you don't want to-"

"No, Kanae," Clista interjected firmly. "I want to. I have to."

The A-Rank Valkyrie smiled warmly, gesturing for them to make themselves comfortable. Wan positioned himself next to Kiana on the couch, while Clista settled near Hana and Bronya, each finding their place in the room's dynamic.

"As you all know, we're facing significant challenges, especially after the chaos unleashed by Noah," Kanae began, her hand resting confidently on her hip. "We've been deceived, isolated, and outmaneuvered by Noah multiple times. Following Wan's insightful suggestions from earlier, our best recourse now is to seek aid from someone who's faced Noah before.. Shin Musashi."